The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-01
gl1e dd1est.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
From the Diamond Valley.


Rev. J. J. Austin, recently of Iowa, who
is now in California, writes Sept. 4, from
Pratt Villa, in Diamond Valley, near San
Jacinto:
Dear UaeiUersdlist 1t has been some
time since have written you, partly be-
cause l have been very busy, and partly
because wished to speak of the summer
climate of this foot-hill region, from at
least one summers experience.
am impelled to write now, because I
have just received letter from our be-
loved brother,
Rev. A. Kelsey, of Savannah, Georgia,
informing me of the sudden death of his
devoted wife. The ministers OF western
New York twenty years ago will remem-
Der her we'll. She was an earnest Uni
versalist when her former husband lived
and died Presbyterian. Her maiden
name was Farwell, and the Farwells were.
think, all Universalists. Many time
have held sweet communion with Br.
and Sister Kelsey, at their home and
mine. We were near neighbors then,
though nov 80 far apart. We have kept
up correspondence these many years. and
though sundered far, we were yet SO near,
in the warmest loves of the soul.
For five long, weary, suffering months.
Mrs. Kelsey waited upon and cheered
her husband, when at tin es he was not
expected to live many days. When he
had so far improved as to be about the
house, she was suddenly taken with
severe form of cholera morbus, suffered
intensely for about three days, when her
wounded and broken body sank in the
sleep which knows no waking. She was
unable to talk much of the time, but her
husband sat by her, and took her hand,
and asked if she remembered the "house
of many mansions" when the responded
by a smile and two distinct mods of the
head. Then he repeated the words,-
"The Lord Is my shepherd, l shall
not want, "and she responded with the
words, He leadeth me beside the still
waters" But she soon passed into coma,
and presently moved out on the waters
with the ever-ready ferryman, while her
freed spirit plumed its wings for its up
ward and heavenward flight. Peace to
thee, my dear brother, for you will not
be long separated. know you are ready
and willing, and soon the record of your
life-work will be closed on earth, to be
re opened in heaven.
So much have felt impelled to say OF
these dear friends of other years. Now
few words as to the summer climate of
this particular region.
The General Impression East
is, that it must be intensely hot and IN
comfortable here in midsummer, though
very pleasant and delightful in the win
ter season. My own impression is, that
the summer is more delightful than the
winter, notwithstanding the mercury
sometimes gets pretty high. But the al
ternating mountain and ocean breezes
keep you famed and cool and comforta
BILE, if In the middle of the day you avoid
the direct rays of the sun. Even then,
the heat affects one less than a much
lower degree in the Eastern States, for
various climatic reasons. Near the coast
you have cold fogs and dampness; among
the foothills, fifty miles away, there Is
little fog, and the chilly breeze has lost
a portion OF it's frigidIty. The nights
here are always cool and the days breezy,
and so to most old residents the summer
is even better than the winter. Horses
work without sweating much; flies don't
seem trouble them, and they are more
readily screened out of the house here
than there, because the greatest warmth
is out OF doors. You can have flies in
abundance if you want them, but 1 have
been less troubled this summer by them
than any summer of my life. Our broth
er,
Rev. S. L. Roripaugh,
is we'll and hearty, and works hard every
day and breaches better on Sunday than
/ have heard him for many years. My
own health Is good, though occasionally
of a cold morning or evening, 1 feel lit
tie of the old bronchial ELECTION. One
can take cold here, as well as there, but
in such case the climate is not in fault,
for it is the most even-tempered atmos-
phere ever experienced.
do not write thus to make any one